As Microsoft services continue to recover from the recent outage, we would like to remind all clients to exercise extra caution when reviewing and responding to emails.

Periods immediately following a major service disruption create an ideal opportunity for cybercriminals. With delayed messages flowing back into inboxes and many people working to catch up on communications, attackers often take advantage of the increased sense of urgency by sending convincing phishing emails, malicious links, and fraudulent attachments designed to appear legitimate.

Please take a moment to verify any unexpected requests before taking action, especially those that:
- Create a sense of urgency or pressure you to respond quickly
- Request password resets, login credentials, payments, or sensitive information
- Contain unexpected links or attachments
- Appear to come from trusted contacts but seem unusual in tone or content
- Ask you to bypass normal processes or security controls.

Be especially careful what you click.

Before opening links or attachments, verify the sender, inspect the destination URL, and when in doubt, contact the sender through a known and trusted channel.

A few extra seconds of scrutiny can prevent a significant security incident. If you receive anything suspicious, please report it to your IT or security team before responding.

Stay vigilant, stay cautious, and think before you click.